The Forefront. Published in Occupied North Carolina

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1 Sons of Confederate Veterans Durham, North Carolina February 2016 Published in Occupied North Carolina Winner of the Colonel Leonidas LaFayette Polk Award for the best Camp newsletter in the North Carolina Division in 2007, 2008, 2012 and runner up "First at Bethel, farthest to the front at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, last at Appomattox" Commander: Douglas W. Nash, Jr. Lt. Commander: William G. O Quinn Adjutant/Treasurer: Thomas M. Beach Chaplain: David T. Patterson Parliamentarian: Stewart Dunaway Newsletter Editor: Douglas W. Nash, Jr. Color Sergeant: John T. Flora, Jr Social Media/Advertising Officer: Matthew McGuigan Public Affairs/Education Officer: William G. O Quinn Genealogist: John T. Nash Member-at-Large: John T. Flora, Jr. Historian: David T. Patterson Communications Officer: John T. Nash H.L. Hunley Award Coordinator: Mark A. Hall Webmaster: Richard F. Pickett Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans: "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we will commit the vindication of the cause for which we fought. To your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles which he loved and which you love also, and those ideals which made him glorious and which you also cherish." Lt. Gen. Stephen Dill Lee, Commander General, United Confederate Veterans, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1906 Our Next Meeting: Our February meeting will be held on Tuesday the 2 nd at Pomodoro Italian Kitchen, 1811 Hillandale Road, Durham beginning at 6:00 PM. Remember to arrive early so you can place your supper order.

2 Our guest speaker will be new member and newly appointed Social Media/Advertising Officer Matthew McGuigan. Commander s Comments: Compatriots, I am looking forward, as I hope y all are, to a very positive year for our Camp and the SCV in general. There are certainly plenty of naysayers out there doing their best to destroy our heritage and besmirch the good name of our Confederate ancestors, but by standing together with truth and level heads we shall, for the most part, overcome. Win, lose or draw, in all things be gentlemen. I am excited about the appointment of Matthew McGuigan as our Social Media/Advertising Officer. I know he is planning many good things for our website and Face Book page. He will be our speaker at the February meeting to give us an idea what to expect. Flag Pledge and Salutes: Pledge to the US Flag I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands; one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Salute to the Confederate Flag I salute the Confederate Flag with affection, reverence, and undying devotion to the Cause for which it stands. Salute to the North Carolina Flag I salute the Flag of North Carolina and pledge to the Old North State, love loyalty, and faith. Minutes of January 2o16 Camp Meeting: Meeting was called to order by Commander Nash The Invocation was led by Chaplin David Patterson Commander Nash led the flag Pledges and Salutes. Commander Nash read the SCV Charge. Commander Nash introduced two visitors: James Ray, born in Durham. Was in the Army. Came back and was married for a time. Got his Master s Degree Basha Beach (Tom s wife) introduced her brother, Preston Dameron, visiting with us from DeSoto, TX. He is a descendent of William W. Nethery, who fought for Whitfield s Legion, also known as the 27 th Texas Cavalry. He was captured and spent most of the war in prison. Adjutant Fallin gave the Treasurer s Report. As of last meeting we had $ in the bank. After expenses there is S in disposable funds. Adjutant Fallin then read the minutes for the November and December meetings which were approved as read. Tom Beach called the roll. Old Business: Commander Nash relayed that the day after our Christmas celebration he carried our donations to the SECU House for their pantry. He had a very full cart and the folks at the SECU House were amazed at the generosity of our Camp. They were very appreciative of our donations. Doug relayed that Oakwood Cemetery had been vandalized as a cemetery in the Charlotte area. Tom Beach relayed that the Oakwood Cemetery defacing was a targeted strike aimed at more senior officer s graves. Discussion was had concerning our instillation of camera monitoring in our main Confederate section of 2

3 Maplewood Cemetery. will ensure this happens in the very near future. Tom Beach is the newly appointed Camp Adjutant. Matthew McGuigan was appointed by Commander Nash as the Camp s Social Media/Advertising Officer. Commander Nash seeks a more positive representation of the Camp, the SCV and our Confederate forefathers. New Business: Commander Nash proposed that we discuss two more weekends at the State Fairgrounds for our Camp Booth. He proposed the weekends of February 27 & 28 (to coincide with a gun show that weekend) and March 19 & 20. made a motion that we take on both weekend events. It was seconded and a vote was held, which passed without objection. Volunteers were sought. Saturday hours are 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Promptness is important as all hands are needed to set up the framing and canopy. February 27 February 28 Mark Weems Tom Beach Bill Watson March 19 March 20 John Flora Bill Watson Tom Beach Commander Nash lead a discussion regarding doing our spaghetti dinner at the SECU House. Brent researched the SECU House calendar of events and currently Nov. 12, 19, and 26 are available. Commander Nash will contact SECU for an appropriate date for their schedule. Commander Nash stated it is time to start soliciting orders for our Vidalia Onion Drive. This is the Camp s main source of revenue allowing us to do much of our charitable activities. The onions come in 10 lb. bags and are sold for $11.00 per bag. This is cheaper than in the supermarket. Try to get people to buy friends, family, co-workers. The Camp makes a $6.00 profit off of each bag sold. When people place orders with you, try to collect up front before placing your order with who will be keeping the Master Order. Jay Stobbs informed the Camp that he had spotted a gigantic Confederate flag on his way back from Washington, DC. He saw it in the Fredericksburg area. Commander Nash added that there are several huge Confederate flags going up in many Southern states along major highways. Many of them are on private land that no one can touch. Basha Beach mentioned that there was a service that helps to train service dogs that are given to soldiers suffering from PTSD. These dogs are trained to help the serviceman or woman overcome the stresses in their lives. It s called wags4tags.com. It s a very worthwhile cause that helps the dog and the veteran. Donations to the Camp general fund were accepted from Camp members. The Benediction was given by Chaplain Patterson and the meeting was closed with the singing of Dixie. January 2o16 Camp Meeting: No photos. Recent Events: None. Upcoming Events: Division Executive Council. The next Division Executive Council (DEC) meeting will be held on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at Old 74 Fox Preserve, 2777 Sam Potts Highway, Hallsboro, NC hosted by the Columbus County Volunteers Camp #794 of Whiteville, Registration cost is $ Registration checks should be made payable to SCV Camp 794 and mailed to William A. Thompson, P. O. Box 125, Chadbourn, NC Registration will begin at 8:30 AM with the meeting beginning at 10:00 AM. 3

4 Host hotel is Quality Inn, 1415 North J. K. Powell Blvd., Whiteville, NC with a SCV rate of $65.90 including wifi and hot breakfast. Call for reservations. Camp Booth Operation. We will be operating our Camp booth on Saturday and Sunday, February 27-27, Volunteers are: Saturday Mark Weems Sunday Tom Beach National Confederate Flag Rally. The SCV will be celebrating the upcoming Confederate Flag Day, which is in the SCV Standing Orders as March 4. Each member is encouraged to fly a Confederate Flag on March 4, The logic behind this date is that March 4, 1861 is when the First National Flag (Stars and Bars) was hoisted over the Confederate Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. On March 4, 1865 President Jefferson Davis signed a bill into law creating the Third National Flag. On Saturday, March 5, 2016 every Division and every camp without a Division will sponsor a Confederate Flag rally somewhere within their state. Past Commander-in-Chief Chuck McMichael has agreed to be the national coordinator of this occurrence and will be sending out a format for all Divisions and camps without Divisions to follow. Once times and locations are determined, Past CiC McMichael will make them public so members are aware of the particulars. Be sure to mark your calendar now so you and your family can attend. Do all you can to promote this! If you are Southern, you will be there! This event is not limited to SCV members only. It is open to anyone of like mind who wishes to stand strong with us and support this day of recognition. So, bring your friends and neighbors with flags. The North Carolina Division Confederate Flag Rally will be held at the State Capitol. Further information will be provided when it becomes available. General Executive Council (GEC). The next meeting of the National GEC at Elm Springs will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Elm Springs, Columbia, Tennessee. Camp Booth Operation. We will be operating our Camp booth on Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20, Volunteers are: Saturday John Flora Tom Beach Sunday John Flora Bill Watson Division Reunion/Convention The Division Reunion/Convention will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at Jay s Seafood, Stony Gap Road, Albemarle, NC hosted by the Ivy Ritchie Camp #1734. Additional information will be added when it becomes available. Camp Vidalia Onions Sale. Now is the time to begin planning your sale of Vidalia onions. Onions generally arrive the first weekend in May and represent the major source of income for the Camp. A 10 pound bag for only $11.00 is a steal when compared to the price one pays in local supermarkets. Start talking it up and sell as many bags as you possibly can. 4

5 dead, a sacred place, and despoil it in an act of barbarism. Well more than a dozen graves in Oakwood Cemetery, including many Confederate soldiers from North Carolina, but some of other historic figures, were vandalized, including the graves of Generals George Anderson and Ruffin Cox, Colonel Henry K. Burgwyn, as well as of Governor Charles B. Aycock, and a monument to the CSS Hunley veterans who perished in the first American submarine. Confederate Memorial Day. The Camp will conduct its annual Confederate Memorial Day at Maplewood Cemetery, Durham, on Saturday, May 14, 2016 beginning with the placing of flags at 10:00 AM. The Memorial Day program will begin at noon. SECU Supper Night. We will be providing supper for the residents of State Employee s Credit Union Family House on Saturday, November 19, 2016 STATEMENT TO THE PRESS on the DESECRATION of OAKWOOD CEMETERY NEWS RELEASE Monday, January 4, 2015 The recent acts of vandalism at and the desecration of historic graves in Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, once again remind us that too many people in our society seriously misunderstand the nature of democratic discourse, debate and discussion. It is one thing to disagree and disagree strongly on an issue in a democratic society. But it is another thing to desecrate the graves of veterans who are not present to defend themselves against such vandalism. Such acts are not only illegal under North Carolina statute, but they demonstrate a contempt for open and civil discussion of the serious issues which confront our society. The spray painting and desecration of graves of various significant figures of North Carolina history in Oakwood indicates that the vandals do not care either about understanding our history, or about openly discussing it. Rather, in the darkness of night they would prefer to sneak into a place of repose for the The North Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans condemns in the strongest terms this contemptible act of desecration against the memory of our War Between the States veterans. If this one group of veterans recognized federally by the American government is now the target of such vandalism, who will be next? Shall we witness the desecration of cemeteries of those young men and women who died during the unpopular Vietnam War? And what of other conflicts which remain controversial in American history? Must those young people, many of whom were drafted into service and who died in far off rice paddies or in hot, dry deserts, now bear the hateful brunt of night-time vandalism because some ignorant individuals cannot stand to debate in the light of day? Accordingly, the North Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, calls upon all other veteran groups and citizens of good will to join us in imploring the appropriate law enforcement agencies to find, prosecute, and punish the culprits of these acts which so impugn and mock our democratic system, insult the memory of our veterans, and demonstrate a profound disrespect for civil discourse. J. Daniel Bolick Commander, North Carolina Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans Did They Eat/Drink/Use That? The year is 1850: United States distillers began aging whiskey in charred oak barrels which mellowed the flavor of the whiskey and gave it the amber color. 5

6 Food for Thought: Ever heard the story that Confederate soldiers who did not own slaves were fighting to preserve the institution of slavery because they would be paid in slaves after the war was won? Were there ever any account books found to prove that to be the case? Confederate Railroads: Orange & Alexandria Railroad. The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia that extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial role in the War for Southern Independence and eventually became an important part of the modern-day Norfolk Southern rail system. Eastern view of round house and depot of Orange & Alexandria Railroad. The railroad boosted Virginia commerce. Farmers could ship their products, produce and goods much more cheaply than before and could go any direction via the connecting railroad, while Alexandria became a thriving seaport and manufacturing center. Passengers could travel from Washington to Lynchburg in eight hours instead of enduring a threeday stagecoach journey. The O&A was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly on May 28, 1848, to run from Alexandria to Gordonsville. Construction began in 1850 and was completed in April 1854, when it connected with the Virginia Central Railroad in Orange County. In 1854, the General Assembly granted permission to the O&A to build southward from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. O&A paid for trackage rights over Virginia Central tracks from Gordonsville to Charlottesville. In 1860, the southern extension was completed, including lucrative connections to the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and the South Side Railroad. The O&A also connected with the Manassas Gap Railroad to the Shenandoah Valley at Tudor Hall (today named Manassas for this junction). The engine "Firefly" on a trestle of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The O&A was strategically important during the War for Southern Independence and was arguably the most fought-over railroad in Virginia. In connection with the Virginia Central, it was the only rail link between the capitals at Washington, D.C., and Richmond. An

7 Union Army attempt to gain control of Manassas Junction led to the First Battle of Manassas, and the junction traded hands numerous times during the war. Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson attacked it in the Battle of Manassas Station Operations to draw the Union into the 1862 Second Battle of Manassas. The 1863 Battle of Brandy Station and Second Battle of Rappahannock Station were also fought near the railroad line. The line from Orange to Gordonsville has been on long-term lease to the C&O Railway, which transferred to CSX, and now CSX subleases to Buckingham Branch Railroad, which operates it as the Orange Subdivision. Among the traces of the original infrastructure are Hoofs Run Bridge in Alexandria. Confederate Manufacturers: The Confederate States Armory, Kenansville, North Carolina Despite its official sounding name this was a private, but large, enterprise operated by Louis Frolich. A wide variety of products were produced from which includes swords, sabres, knives and cutlasses. The most recognized Confederate States Armory Sword is the Staff Officer's pattern with "CSA" forming the guard. The guards appear to have been manufactured by way of stamping, however they were indeed cast barricades on Alexandria's Duke Street, erected to protect the Orange & Alexandria Railroad from Confederate cavalry. The railroad entered Reconstruction in dire shape, with much of its track ripped up and most of its rolling stock destroyed. In 1867, the O&A merged with the Manassas Gap Railroad to become the Orange, Alexandria and Manassas Railroad. Then in 1873, the company was consolidated into the Virginia Midland Railway, which was controlled by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It later became part of the Richmond and Danville Railroad and, in 1894 became an important piece of the Southern Railway. A cutoff between Orange and Charlottesville was incorporated in 1876 as the Charlottesville and Rapidan Railroad and opened in 1880; the property was sold to the Southern in In 1982, Southern Railway System joined the Norfolk and Western Railway to form the Norfolk Southern (NS) system. The former O&A tracks are also used by Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) operates commuter railroad service along a portion of the historic line. The Order of Confederate Rose: The Order of Confederate Rose (OCR) is an independent Southern Heritage/History Organization, sponsored by the Sons of Confederate Veterans, whose primary purpose is to assist the Sons of Confederate Veterans in their projects and activities. They study to present programs at schools, museums, festivals and living histories. They also honor those who fought during the War for Southern Independence through dedications, memorials, placing of flags and installation of headstones where none exist. They have given financial support as available to many Southern causes. Several members are Black Roses. These are the ladies in black who mourn the Confederate dead at memorial services. Some are re-enactors, traveling to battlefields spending time dressed as their ancestors, attending teas, living the personas of ladies of the past, and cheering on the boys in gray. The OCR is a family organization where husbands, children also take part. 7

8 To become a member of the OCR you do not have to have lineage to a Confederate soldier, only the desire to maintain Southern heritage and history. Members include women (Roses), men (Thorns) and children (Little Roses/Thorns) Perhaps you have members of your family who would like to become a member of the OCR. We would love to have them as members of the OCR Chapter sponsored by our Camp, the Eliza Bennitt Duke Chapter #49. If so, please contact the Chapter President, Ms. Brenda Barringer at brendabarr1@hotmail.com Confederate Kinfolk Corner: Private John Smith Watson, Company K, 34 th Georgia Regiment. John Smith Watson, the 2 nd Great Grandfather of William Bill A. Watson IV, was born on August 15, 1833 and was by occupation a farmer. Private Watson died on June 12, 1898 and is buried in Thomson, Georgia. 8